Swiss say illegal medicines imports nearly double

Geneva  - Switzerland reported Thursday a 92 per cent increase in the amount of illegal and counterfeit medicines seized at its border crossings in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year.

The medicine consignments confiscated by Swiss customs officers came from several regions, including eastern and western Europe, the federal authorities said in a statement, though the majority arrived from Asia.

Erectile dysfunction drugs made up 24 per cent of the caught shipments. Slimming products were 14 per cent of the found products followed by muscle enhancers, at 12 per cent.

Slimming products made the largest increase, and health officials warned the public to take care that they only bought official and licensed drugs. The counterfeit products do not always contain the appropriate amounts of active and inactive chemicals and can cause health problems.

The authorities also warned about buying medicines through dubious Websites.(dpa)